Re: [OMC-Boats] OMC-Boats Digest, Vol 36, Issue 11

Let me chime in and reinforce Andy's advice. You also should realize that
our OMC boats were built before the recreational boating industry required
fuel pump overflow vent returns. If your pump diaphram fails it can result
in raw fuel being dumped out the pump vent port directly into your bilge or
engine compartment. The fuel then begins to evaporate and it can create very
volatile (explosive) conditions.

There are several importantnt safety-related improvements/upgrades you can
easily do to insure safer boating for your and your family or passengers:

1) Install a fuel-line fitting in the air horn of your carb. Then connect a
fuel line from the fuel pump vent to the carb's new fitting. In the event of
a pump failure the fuel will be vented back into the carb, not into the
bilge. This has been a std requirement on inboards and sterndrive-powered
boards for the last 25 years or so. It's not that expensive or difficult. I
urge everyone that reads this to take this advice seriously!

2) Install a fuel vapor detector in the enclosed engine area. These
typically include a sensor and a remote (helm) buzzer and/or visual
indicator.

3) Consider installing an automatic fire extinguisher inside the enclosed
are of you engine. These devices will automatically discharge and extinguish
an engine fire without the need to open the engine hatch (Opening the engine
hatch is usually a very bad idea - it just provides the fire more oxygen!)

4) Consider upgrading the original combination bilge-pump/bilge-blower to
seperate, more contemporary units. Having seperate units allows each do to a
better job at the task it was specifically designed for. It does require
adding a new control switch for best operational control. You can also add
the float-style automatic (24-hr) bilge pump control (so it comes on anytime
the float detects fluid). I've also added a auto-timer switch to my
seperate blower which shuts it off after it runs for five minutes.

Lee

----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy Perakes" <aperakes@...>
To: "'John Schmelzeis'" <northphx@...>; <omc-boats@...>
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 8:19 PM
Subject: Re: [OMC-Boats] OMC-Boats Digest, Vol 36, Issue 11

> You definitely do NOT want to use an automotive fuel pump in a boat.
> Marine-rated fuel pumps have double-diaphragms and other design features
> to
> help reduce the risk of failure -- even way back in the 60s. Bypassing
> "marine rated" hardware is dangerous, against the law, and not worth the
> risk.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: omc-boats-bounces@...
> [mailto:omc-boats-bounces@...] On Behalf Of John Schmelzeis
> Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 3:14 PM
> To: omc-boats@...
> Subject: Re: [OMC-Boats] OMC-Boats Digest, Vol 36, Issue 11
>
> You may want to consider switching to an electric fuel pump that matches
> the
>
> fuel pump specs for your engine as it would enable you to put an
> inexpensive
>
> cover where the mechanical pump was located and switch to an easy to a
> potentially less expensive solution. I found an electric pump that
> matched
> the specs for my Buick 300 V8 (Skylark and Johnson Surfer engine) at
> Autozone. If you prefer mechanical you could purchase an aftermarket
> mechanical that meets your specs (more specifically, specs of Auto with
> equivalent engine) even more inexpensively; ~$20 range. Autozone, Pep
> Boys,
>
> Napa...will all likely have appropriate choices. Good luck!
>
> Best,
> John
> '67 Surfer
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: <omc-boats-request@...>
> Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 9:00 AM
> To: <omc-boats@...>
> Subject: OMC-Boats Digest, Vol 36, Issue 11
>
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>> Today's Topics:
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>> 1. Re: Fuel Pump Help (Andy Perakes)
>>
>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 20:37:22 -0400
>> From: "Andy Perakes" <aperakes@...>
>> Subject: Re: [OMC-Boats] Fuel Pump Help
>> To: "'Chuck'" <cbreen5510@...>, <omc-boats@...>
>> Message-ID: <000d01cadb6a$a6405250$f2c0f6f0$@...>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>>
>> If I remember right, I got one ~3 years ago from Michigan Marine Gear,
>> http://michiganmarinegear.com/. It wasn?t cheap. I seem to recall $175,
>> but am not sure and all my paperwork is at the lake. It was the right
>> pump assembly, but did not have the integrated glass bowl/filter so I
>> took
>
>> that off my old one (I like the visual sight). I?ve had the best luck
>> finding parts by searching for the OMC part #, both through general
>> search
>
>> engines (Google, Yahoo, ?) and on eBay. If its just leaking at the seal,
>> you may be able to tighten the screws and get it to re-seal. More likely
>> I suspect it only appears to be leaking at the seal and is actually
>> leaking out the vent indicating a blown diaphragm. Regardless of what it
>> is or how you fix it, I strongly advise you to route a line from the vent
>> to the carb such that any gas leaking out the vent gets routed harmlessly
>> into the carb (assuming you have a flame arrestor installed) instead of
>> your bildge. Good luck!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> From: omc-boats-bounces@...
>> [mailto:omc-boats-bounces@...] On Behalf Of Chuck
>> Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 7:53 AM
>> To: omc-boats@...
>> Subject: [OMC-Boats] Fuel Pump Help
>>
>>
>>
>> Could use some help on locating a rebuild kit or a new fuel pump for a
>> 1968 Sportsman 155 225 V6. Mine has the glass bowl on the bottom and it
>> was dry all winter( rebuilt the Carb) and when I started it up today it
>> was leaking not at the bowl gasket but the gasket above where the bail
>> assembly fastens. Any suggestions?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Chuck
>>
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Received on Thursday, 15 April 2010